For players new to basketball, the game may seem a little confusing at first. Begin with the basics, such as shooting, dribbling and passing. To get familiar with the game, a few drills designed for the beginning basketball player can help. Specific drills also can teach you offensive and defensive principles. Practicing these drills regularly can enhance your performance and help you perfect your technique on the court.

Ballhandling

Learning how to dribble the ball is usually one of the first skills a beginning basketball player must learn. To do this, there are a few drills you can try. Stationary drills, such as dribbling the ball in a circle around each leg, dribbling in place at varying heights or dribbling the ball in a figure 8 pattern through your legs are excellent ways to get more familiar with ballhandling. Other drills, such as dribble tag or tight chairs, are more dynamic and require players to move around the court while dribbling. In dribble tag, all players but the one who is “it” have a ball, and the object is to avoid getting tagged by “it” while maintaining a constant dribble. Tight chairs is done with six chairs or cones set up in two rows of three chairs. Players must dribble around each chair, performing a specific ballhandling skill, such as a figure 8, after completing one row and then moving onto the next one.

Passing

Getting the ball to your teammates is crucial during a basketball game, so beginners need to learn how to make good passes. Basic passes include a chest pass, bounce pass and overhead pass. To practice passing, have players pair up and work on each of these skills. Chest passes are done with two hands, with the passer and receiver working to keep the ball at chest level. Bounce passes are thrown from the same position, but the passer should aim for the floor about three-quarters of the way between him and his partner. Overhead passes are also done with two hands raised above your head, but players should be careful to keep the ball directly overhead, as bringing it behind the head can result in a stolen ball during a game.

Shooting

Shooting the ball is the only way to score points in a basketball game, so beginners should practice a couple different shot techniques. The air-ball drill is done by having players line up with balls, then getting into an offensive position, dropping their elbow, jumping and shooting from their highest point. Beginners should learn the importance of following through on their shot, and this drill can be done as a group without using the goal, or individually with the goal. Another shooting exercise to try is the box drill, which is done with two lines of players and one ball. The player on the right side takes a jump shot to the backboard, while the left side players run up to receive the rebound and make their own shot. The ball goes back to the next player on the right side to continue the drill.

Offensive/Defensive Drills

Learning how to play both offensive and defensive is necessary, as the game shifts rapidly between the two for players. An offensive drill to try is a layup competition, where the players are divided and line up under each basket. The first player on each side dribbles at full speed to the opposite basket, performing a layup, while the next player on that side is ready to grab the rebound and repeat the drill. To practice defense, a scramble drill will help teach players how to keep an opposing player from receiving a pass. To do it, have two players stand equidistant from a ball. When the whistle blows, the defensive player must use proper defensive stance to box out the other player to keep him from getting to the ball.

About the Author

Suzy Kerr graduated from Grady School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Georgia. She completed her Master's degree in Nutrition Sciences, also at the University of Georgia. Suzy has been a successful health, fitness and nutrition writer for more than 10 years, and has been published in various print and online publications.